PORTLAND, Ore. — Federal prosecutors have submitted more than 500 exhibits and a witness list of at least 70 people for the trial of an Oregon man who allegedly kidnapped a woman in Seattle, then locked her in a cinder block cell in his garage. Negasi Zuberi, 30, is also facing charges related to a second kidnapping involving a woman in Klamath Falls.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin Tuesday morning in U.S. District Court in Medford, followed by opening statements on Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning. The trial is scheduled for three weeks.
The FBI claims in July 2023, Zuberi posed as an undercover officer, kidnapped a woman from Seattle, then sexually assaulted her during the 450-mile drive to his home in Klamath Falls. The woman was able to escape the cell by beating on a metal screen door until her hands bled, according to federal agents.
Zuberi was arrested a day after the alleged kidnapping in Reno, Nevada after a stand-off with police.
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Federal prosecutors have since linked Zuberi to a second kidnapping in May 2023. In court papers, prosecutors allege Zuberi abducted a woman outside a Klamath Falls bar, threatened her with a taser, handcuffed her in the back of his car and then sexually assaulted her multiple times.
Court records suggest prosecutors will rely on a mountain of evidence and testimony to show a pattern of predatory behavior and premeditation.
Images taken from security cameras at a local Home Depot show Zuberi buying cinder blocks that prosecutors say he used to construct the make-shift cell in his garage. The government’s exhibit list also includes weapons and ammunition, police body camera footage and evidence found in Zuberi’s home and vehicle.
The government’s witness list includes investigators from the FBI, local police and medical personnel who treated the alleged victims.
It is not clear if Zuberi will testify on his own behalf or what witnesses, if any, the defense will call.
Zuberi has pleaded not guilty to an eight-count indictment that charges him with two counts of kidnapping, two counts of being a felon in possession of guns and ammunition, two counts of being a felon with ammunition and one count each of transportation for criminal sexual activity and attempted escape.
